


True Love's Kiss (Works Every Time)

by kiwiz



Series: Longest Night [1]
Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Carlos is a Dork, Established Relationship, Jane is a great girlfriend, Love Confessions, Multi, Mutual Pining, OT3, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, Threesome - F/M/M, some adult content, they all love each other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-11
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2020-08-13 10:24:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20172706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiwiz/pseuds/kiwiz
Summary: Set post-D3, I ship everyone with everyoneSenior year has arrived for the VK's and things couldn't be better. The barrier is down, they've found true love, and the kingdom is being united. Carlos and Jane are happy in their relationship, but Jane senses something is bothering Carlos. It might have to do with the fact that, of their friends, Jay is the only one still left unattached. She needs to knock some sense into her boys.





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> Short chapter for the introduction just to get things going.

Fall rolled around with colors brighter than the students had ever seen before. With the influx of newly freed villain kids as well as the lingering excitement from the royal wedding (a beautiful spring affair, but not without the touch of wicked Mal always carried), the beginning of the school year at Auradon Prep was looking to be one of the most hopeful that the kingdom had seen in some time. 

Evie's clothing line was flourishing with Dizzy as her newly appointed apprentice, so there would be at least _some_ style remaining once she and Doug graduated. Mal was settling into her role as Queen alongside her new husband, the pair acting as the ambassadors between worlds for the people of Auradon and the Isle. Jay made sure Lonnie kept her role as tourney captain while he spent more of his time integrating the villain kids into Auradon. Carlos, with Dude by his side, took to scouring the vacated parts of the Isle for lost animals to bring to safety in one of Auradon's shelters. Jane pitched in at the shelter when she wasn't busy assisting her mom with academic preparations, although any reason to spend time with Carlos was great by her.__

_ __ _

_ __ _

The couple had finally spoken the magic L-word soon after Mal and Ben's wedding and took to spending any time together they could. With most of their good friends in such sincere relationships , they realized what they had was just as special. The first weeks of school passed with Jane staying over in Carlos' room when she could, thankful to Jay for staying with Evie occasionally since Mal was practically a castle resident now.

The first day of October saw Jane in bed next to Carlos, tapping away on her laptop as he tried to sleep in.

"You are not seriously looking at colleges right now are you?" Carlos grumbled into his pillow. Jane smiled sweetly down at him. "It's never too early to start browsing," she stated, "and besides, Dude was hungry. If you're not going to be awake, someone has to feed him."

Carlos propped his head up to see Dude happily licking his bowl clean and trotting over to his bed to lay back down. "Aw, thanks baby," Carlos took her hand to press a sleepy kiss to her knuckles. Jane ruffled his hair playfully.

"Well now that my other pup is finally awake, he needs to get dressed for class."

Carlos flushed at the pet name, one that they had discovered he secretly adored, before blinking. "Wait, you're already dressed?" Carlos sat up. "What time is it?"

"Bro, it's like 10:30," Dude piped up from his bed. "Jane's already been to class and came back to find you still sleeping and my bowl still empty."

Carlos slid out of bed, frantically pulling out his black and white ensemble. "Why didn't you wake me up?!"

"We tried." Jane and Dude said together, deadpan. Jane hopped off the bed to gather Carlos' things and hand them to him as he finished dressing. "Not my fault you love to sleep, silly boy," Jane said after Carlos had secured his bag. She placed her palms on his cheeks and stood on her toes to give him a sweet kiss before stepping back. "Have a good class. Love you."

"Love you too," Carlos breathed out, still smiling from the kiss as he backed towards the door. "Oh, and you too Dude." Carlos ruffled his dog's fur quickly before jogging out the door.

"Yeah, yeah, always second best to the pretty girl," Dude mumbled from his bed. Jane chuckled and gathered her bag and laptop, intending to stop at her own room before her next class.

"It's okay, we both love you," Jane pat his head affectionately. "See you later Dude."

As Jane walked the halls of the dorm, her legs shifted to auto-pilot as her brain shifted to thoughts of Carlos. She was so happy with their relationship, she was. Carlos was sweet and caring and still a bit clueless, but she loved him for it. And she knew he loved her too. Through awkward dances and evil spells the two had come to know each other better than anyone else, including that embarrassing conversation where Jane compelled Carlos to finally fess up to having a _dog thing._ The two told each other everything now, which is why Jane was able to detect that something was amiss. Carlos was still his bubbly self, but certain topics caused him to abruptly shift the conversation. When it was them teasing each other over who they thought the other found attractive, it made sense because Carlos could still be surprisingly bashful. But when it came to things she thought they were open about, like Carlos' unbreakable bond with the other three VK's, it made less sense. In fact, she reflected, it was really only when it concerned Jay.__

_ __ _

_ __ _

Jane had a strong feeling she knew what was happening, but she didn't understand why Carlos was afraid to confide in her. "This weekend," she resolved, "I'll talk to him."


	2. The Secret

It was Friday night and the VK's were sneaking through the kitchens for snacks (not that Ben would care), and hopping onto the counters to chat. This was the first free time all four had found themselves having together since school started. Of course, each often paired up during the week but hanging out with all of them there was becoming less frequent with their newfound responsibilities.

Mal was playfully stealing cookies off of Evie, the two giggling at each other. Jay huffed a laugh at the girls and turned to Carlos. "Girls, am I right?" He made an off-handed gesture with one hand at the two sitting across from them while his other hand slid behind Carlos to take a candy bar out of his pile. Mal and Evie laughed harder at their antics, Carlos looking between them with confusion. 

"Is there something in your cookies?" Carlos chuckled, "because you're acting crazy." It wasn't until he turned to face a grinning Jay that he noticed the other boy had already eaten two of his candy bars.

"Dude!" Carlos swatted at the chocolate in Jay's hand. "You're just as bad as them!"

"Well, we're rotten..." Jay shrugged.

"To the core!" The girls chorused as Jay caught Carlos in a headlock, tousling his hair. Laughter echoed off the walls as the boys wrestled with each other. It was just like old times. Except, it wasn't. Carlos had Jane, he could no longer allow himself to bask in Jay's attention, his smell, his laughter. It felt wrong. Carlos ducked his reddening face, feeling Jay's sculpted arms flex around him.

"Okay, dude, stop," Carlos chuckled, but Jay wasn't letting up. "Dude." He pulled at Jay's arm. "Okay stop. Stop it!" Jay abruptly released him, a look of bewilderment on his face. Mal's lips were pursed and Evie looked contemplative. 

Carlos spun on the counter to slide down onto the floor, leaning against the tabletop to hide the growing tightness in his shorts. His face burned, but now with more shame than untimely arousal.

"I was just messing with you, man. I'm... sorry," Jay looked at Carlos with concern. "Are you okay?"

Carlos cleared his throat before looking back up, "Uh, yeah. Sorry. Not been myself lately." He looked at each of his friends, noting the mix of confusion and concern in their faces. "Maybe I should just head up for the night..."

"No, stay. Please," Evie spoke softly. "It's nice to hang out like this. We've all been busy and sometimes the stress gets to our heads, yeah?" She smiled at him. "We like having you around." Carlos found himself giving her a small smile in return. 

"Ugh, speaking of stress getting to us, you should have _seen_ Ben the other day. He went full beast for a solid fifteen minutes," Mal laughed, steering the conversation back into relaxed territory.__

“No way!"  
"Does he have that beard again now?"  
The four began joking again, sharing stories and catching up all while Jay was still sending worried glances in Carlos' direction. 

Carlos was lost in his head for the rest of the night. Gods, Jay was going to be the death of him. He was sweet and playful and a dork all while being outright gorgeous and Carlos was struggling to keep his feelings in check. 

He had always had a a bit of a crush on Jay, even on the Isle. The boy was just so unintentionally charismatic. After they were chosen as the first villain kids to be allowed into Auradon, having Jay with him in this brand new world of possibilities brought him so much joy. 

But Jay was straight. Very much so. And with that being apparent Carlos kept his affection to himself, despite how it grew over the years. When he first liked Jane, it was closer to the sense of normalcy that surrounded Auradon so he jumped on his chance to be with her. Once their relationship developed he got to see how brilliant and charming Jane herself was, with a hidden bit of spitfire, almost a softer version of Jay’s personality. 

He fell in love with her. She was a truly beautiful person inside and out and he was lucky to have the opportunity he did here in Auradon. His feelings for Jay had always remained, but more on the backburner behind the thrall of new romance. 

He thought with how busy their lives had become that the time spent appart would help ease him out of his feelings for Jay, but it did the opposite. Now when he got to be close to him it felt like his senses were heightened to Jay’s presence. He frequently had to make excuses to distance himself from Jay to avoid staring longingly and dealing with, *ahem,* problems when they arose.

Even with all that, the heart of the problem was not his physical attraction. It was that Carlos loved Jay with every fiber of his being, but those fibers also loved Jane. He knew learning to love was seen as unprecedented for the isle kids, yet here he was in love with two people, only one of which he had the right to be.

Needless to say, sleep was allusive.

”Carlos?” He was startled out of his self-deprecation by the voice of his tormentor. “Are you awake?” 

Carlos stayed where he was in bed, laying on his side facing away from Jay’s side of the room. He debated feigning sleep, but Jay knew him well enough to know he was definitely awake. 

“Yeah. I’m awake.”  
A minute of silence passed before Jay spoke.  
“I’m sorry I didn’t realize how stressed you’ve gotten. I feel like I should have had your back.”

Carlos swallowed. “It’s okay, just a lot going on for me right now.” 

”There seems to be a lot going on for all of us.” Jay whispered. This time several minutes passed before Jay spoke again. “I miss you.” 

Tears swelled in Carlos’ eyes and he curled into himself, speaking so softly it could have been missed if not for the heavy atmosphere of the room. “I miss you too.” 

****

Jane was reading on her bed when there was a soft knock on her door. She looked up from her book, “Who is it?”

”It’s Evie. Can I come in?”

”Of course!” Jane ran to open the door. “Is everything alright?” 

Evie smiled. “Thanks for your concern, but I just wanted to talk to you actually.”

Jane’s brows furrowed in puzzlement. “Alright. Why so late?” 

Evie sighed. “Well, Carlos has been acting... I’ve just noticed some things is all, and when we were hanging out tonight it was a little tense and I just wanted to talk to you. I know you’re very close to him.” 

Jane gently sat down on the edge of her bed. “The things you’ve noticed... were they about Jay?” 

”Yes. Did you-” Evie looked at her sincerely. “Did you know?” 

Janes mouth quirked up. “I had a feeling, yeah. I’ve been meaning to talk to him about it. I don’t want him to feel bad, or alone.”

Evie’s face softened. “He’s so lucky to have you Jane. I knew you would handle it okay, I just wanted to make sure Carlos will be alright.”

”If I can help it, I’d like for all of us to be alright.” 

Evie leaned over to hug her. “With you? I’m sure of it. What are you planning on doing?” 

“Knocking some sense into those two idiots,” Jane smiled. “Thanks for coming to me about this. I’ve been nervous about bringing it up to Carlos, but you made me feel more confident in my decision.”

”I can’t wait to see you work your magic.” Evie walked back over to the door, trailed by Jane. 

”After all the pining Carlos has been doing, I can’t wait either.” Jane grinned again, and they both laughed. "I just hope he'll be receptive to me bringing it up."

Evie cocked her head. "I might have an idea that will help start a conversation," she smiled mischievously. "And it might help some other lovesick fools too, if you're up for a little group bonding."

Jane raised an eyebrow. "Meaning...?"

Evie grinned.


	3. The Conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for some heart-to-hearts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit of a character study.

Saturday afternoon, Evie called Dizzy to join her in the gazebo by the Enchanted Lake.

"What did you say we're doing again?" Dizzy asked, plopping down into a cross-legged seated position.

"Some group bonding. We just have to wait for the others." Evie gracefully sat down next to her friend.

Soon after she spoke, figures emerged at the top of the hill, coming down the trail. Ben was in the front, waving, with Carlos and Jay following behind, looking curious.

"Bonding with _boys_?" Dizzy scrunched her noise and Evie laughed.

"No, Dizzy, not just boys. Mal is bringing a group. Celia is supposed to join us too."

Dizzy's face brightened at the mention of her good friend, who had stayed by her side since moving to Auradon. Evie smiled, glad that Dizzy had someone from the Isle to help make the transition easier. She knew from experience that VK's did better together. 

"Hi girls. I brought these two, but I can't really stay too long. I have a council meeting later. Sadly." Ben said morosely, sitting next to Evie. Jay and Carlos followed suit, looking between their friends. 

"Hey, uh, so what's the deal here?" Jay asked Evie. Carlos nodded along, looking at his friends. 

"Well," Evie took a breath, "I called in everyone for-"

"Celia!" Dizzy jumped up to hug her friend who had just walked into the gazebo. Celia raised her eyebrows but hugged back. "Girl, I saw you, like, an hour ago." Dizzy shrugged sheepishly, tugging Celia down to sit next to her. Jane came in from right behind Celia, smiling down at her friends.

"Hi guys." She eased down next to Carlos, pecking his check. Evie saw Carlos blush and quickly glance at Jay, who's eyes were trained on Carlos' cheek. When Jay realized he had been staring he looked away, biting his lip. Evie pushed her lips together to hide her grin. 

"Jane? What are you doing here?" Carlos asked. "I thought your mom was whisking you away to some fairy convention." Jane bumped his shoulder, smiling widely.

"Surprise! I managed to sneak away for this." She winked at Evie.

Carlos threw his head back, groaning. "Please tell me we are not having girl talk."

"I'm afraid so." The group turned their heads to see Mal walking up, smirking, with Uma, Harry, and Gil in tow. Mal sat next to Evie, pointing at the ground next to her for the rest to sit. 

"Oooh no. I did _not_ sign up for this shite," Harry sneered at the group, scoffing when he saw Gil already taking a seat. Gill looked up at him guiltily, but shrugged and stayed seated. Uma rolled her eyes and plopped down.

"If I have to do this, so do you," she glared at Hook. He huffed before sprawling next her. "Now," Uma looked at Evie, "what exactly are we doing here?"

"Okay so," Evie clapped her hands together, "ever since that time Mal ran away to the isle we decided to extend our deep conversations to the whole group."

"Girl talk," Jay muttered. Evie pursed her lips at him.

"It's been a VK tradition ever since to come together when we need to. Since the year has been getting stressful I thought we could use a little group share." Evie said succinctly.

"Okay, yeah, sounds nice and all, but if it's a villain kid thing why are beast and bibbity bobbity here," Uma nodded her head at Ben and Jane.

"Ben and Mal are a package deal at this point, you know that. And Jane and I came up with the idea together to bring everyone here." Evie smiled at her fondly.

"This was your idea?" Carlos whispered to his girlfriend, as Evie carried on explaining the exercise.

"I thought we could all benefit from getting stuff off our chests." Jane rubbed her thumb soothingly across Carlos' neck, letting her finger catch on the silver chain he wore. It was tucked carefully under his shirt and held the small dog tag that was inscribed with his name. "Especially you, pup."

After he and Jane had sorted things out in their relationship, Carlos' dog thing had become a dynamic of trust between them, with Jane taking over when Carlos needed cared for. Her touch was a subtle message that she had done this with his best interest in mind.

"With that all settled, who wants to go first?" Evie looked expectantly around at the group. When no answers where forthcoming, Jane sat up straighter.

"I'll go first." She let her gaze stop on everyone in the circle. "I know some of us are good friends, and some of us are really not-" here Harry snorted derisively," BUT," she raised her voice emphatically,"we are all connected from our experiences this last year, and that's why I feel comfortable sharing. We all deserve to be heard, and I know that some of you are afraid of that. So I'll go first." She saw her friends smile at her words, and even Uma gave a nod. "We've all been busy, but recently I realised that I was so caught up in my own things that I may have been neglecting those close to me. Seeing people struggling and choosing to not step forward isn't how to be a good friend. I want to fix that." She nodded to herself. "Um, who's next?"

Carlos' brow was pinched after her confession, and he remained quiet.

"I'll go." Mal gestured loosely with her hand. "Still sorting things out with Big Blue. With Dad, I mean. But things aren't as tense as they were." She shifted her jaw. "And being a queen is really hard sometimes, but it's really helped seeing how many kids we were able to provide with better lives after bringing down the barrier." One side of her mouth quirked up at Ben. He leaned forward to rest his forearms on his knees.

"Like she said, being a ruler is hard. I know some of you might envy my position, but... it's a lot. Sometimes I wish I was a normal person, so I could just live my life." he shrugged. "But seeing all the kids we brought in makes me remember it's worth it."

Jay nodded, clearing his throat. "I spend a lot of time helping some of the kids transition. Walk them around, teach them how to live here, show them what a coconut is," he raised his brows at Gil, who laughed. "I'm someone they can talk to if they need it. Isle life was tough, and they deserve a better start. Seeing how they had to live and what they went through, what I went through, is hard because I don't wish that on anyone. I want to help, even if it can be troubling for me."

"Sometimes I have trouble remembering where I am," Dizzy began after Jay finished speaking. "My impulse is to steal when I see something nice, or hide when I hear someone shouting. But then I realize I'm here in Auradon and I'm okay," she laughed incredulously,"I'm safe, and anything I need or want I can ask for. I don't have to hide anymore. And I have a really good friend by my side." She gave Celia a one-armed hug.

"It's nice having a friend here," Celia agreed. "But, uh, as far as the sharing goes I'll pass." She looked at Gil.

"Guess it's me now," he raised his hand, before realising how unnecessary that was and slowly lowering it. Uma smirked at him and Harry's eyes danced for a moment before he schooled his features. "Like she- I'm sorry what's your name?" Gil grimaced, turning his head to Dizzy.

"It's Dizzy, no worries."

"Like Dizzy said, the impulses are still the same. Gotta remind myself not to hide, that I'm safe now. Dad can't h-" he cut himself off abruptly. "That I'm safe now." He repeated, softly. "And, uh, it's cool of you guys to welcome us into your group." Ben, Jane, and the VK's gave him encouraging smiles. Uma looked at him with sympathy, then turned to lay a hand on Harry's shoulder after seeing how pained his face had become.

"I'm also really glad that we settled our difference. We make a pretty good team now," Uma tilted her head, shrugging at Mal and Evie. "Harry?"

He swallowed thickly. "As cheery as this is, I think I'll pass." Collecting himself, he put on another sneer for the group. "Alright, Spots, I guess it's yer turn."

Carlos startled, and Jane softly placed a hand on his thigh. "Uh..." he licked his lips, feeling rather nervous despite how vulnerable his friends had just made themselves. "I guess, I have a lot on my mind. I get distracted. Sometimes cruel." He tucked his chin into his chest. "I don't wanna be cruel anymore. I don't want..." he trailed off. Jane squeezed her hand reassuringly, unsure of how much he would say. "I don't want to hate myself anymore." 

Oh.  
She hadn't realised how much that had gotten to him. Jane felt overwhelmed at the realisation of how oblivious she had been, letting him hurt so deeply. She had to fix this.

"I didn't know you felt that way about yourself." Jay laid a hand on Carlos' thigh, unaware of how he was mirroring Jane's motions. "You're an amazing person." Jane smiled as Carlos blushed and bashfully thanked him.

"I'm so glad you all were willing to open up. Well, most of you. I hope this helped each of you in some way," Evie smiled broadly at all of them, waving at Ben as he quietly dismissed himself to go attend to his duties, Mal falling in step beside him and grabbing his hand. "To close, I'll take my turn. Between school and my business and caring for the kids, I may be working myself to the bone. I may be exhausted and putting on a brave face everyday, but I'm truly thankful that all you are in my life, and that we can work together. And thanks for coming to this 'Girl Talk.'" Everyone laughed, and Evie clapped her hands together once more. "That's a wrap!" 

The group began to disperse; Celia and Dizzy talking quietly, Uma leading Harry with a hand on his back and Harry reaching to pull Gil close by his shoulder, Evie gesturing for Jay to walk with her, and Jane taking Carlos' hand.

"I'm proud of you, pup." Carlos turned to face Jane and saw her eyes shining with tears.

"Hey, hey, hey, what's wrong? Please don't cry." He cupped her face and wiped under her eyes with his thumbs.

"Sorry, hah. I just," she sniffled. "I hadn't realised how badly you were feeling. And I wasn't there for you."

"No, no it's okay. How could you have known?" 

"If you had just talked to me." Jane pull him into a tight embrace. "I love you, Carlos. You can talk to me about anything. Or anyone. I promise."

Carlos flinched. "I'm sorry I didn't- wait. Anyone? What do you... how did..." he began breathing faster.

"I know you're in love with Jay, baby." 

His face fell, and then looked completely broken. "Jane. I'm so sorry- I couldn't- I'm sorry." He tried to pull away from her, feeling his own eyes swell with tears.

"Shh, sh. It's okay. I'm not upset I promise. Can we head back to my room and talk? Please?" She tilted his face to look into her open expression. 

"How are you not mad at me?"

Jane pulled their tear-stained faces together to give him a deep kiss. After a moment, she pulled away and rubbed her nose against his gently. "Because I know you, and I know your heart. You loving Jay doesn't mean you love me any less."

Carlos let out a sound between a laugh and a sob, burying his face in her shoulder. "I don't understand how I got someone so Good."

She chuckled and ran her fingers through his hair. "Let's go back and clean up, and then talk, yeah?"

"Okay." He nodded shakily. "Okay yeah let's go do that. I love you."

"I know you do baby." Jane smiled. "I love you too."


	4. The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane helps Carlos figure out what to do about Jay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think Jane would be a great girlfriend. After their talk there is F/M Janelos smut, so if you don't like don't read. Smut is only at the end and is separated with *************************.

Jane and Carlos went back to Jane's room, washing their teary faces and giggling at each other's sappiness. Jane got comfortable sitting against the headboard of her bed, and Carlos followed suit, looking apprehensive.

"Okay, so, needless to say we probably should have talked awhile ago, huh?" Jane reached her arm up to pet Carlos' hair. 

He gave a self-deprecating smile. "Probably yeah. I was just scared."

"You don't need to be okay? I'll always support you." She gave him a soft smile and kissed his cheek. "Now, how do you want to start this?"

"Um. I don't really know. I guess... how long have you known?"

"I had suspicions in the past, but it became pretty obvious this year. You look like a pining puppy sometimes," she chuckled.

"Shit really?" Carlos look anxious. "Is it that obvious? I don't want him to..."

"Honestly, Carlos, I think everyone _but_ Jay knows."

"That's not much better!" Carlos threw his head back in exasperation. Jane watched him with amusement.

"Baby, you know your friends would never do something hurtful to you. They've been wanting to do something about it I think. Evie actually came to me the other day. She was worried about you."

"I know, it's just..." he huffed out a sigh. "It feels so wrong. I have you, why couldn't I be happy with that? I may be a villain kid but I'm not actually a villain. It makes me feel pretty shitty." He swallowed. "Wait, Evie came to you?" He sat back up. "It was after the kitchen incident wasn't it."

"It was. I hadn't known how much you were struggling with this until she described how you acted. Not just then, but in general. I really want you to know you can come to me about anything." Jane turned over onto her side, snuggling against her boyfriend.

"I never would have thought this is something I could talk to you about." He rolled over to face her. "I still don't understand..."

He tentatively brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, letting his hand stay resting against her face. "How is any of this okay?"

Jane placed her hand on top of his. "It's okay because, like I said, I _know_ you. You are one of the most inspiring people I've ever met. You went through so much and were always told you were nothing, but then you came to Auradon and showed everyone that you have the kindest heart in the whole kingdom. You care about your friends, you care about Dude, you care about me. You _care_ so much,Carlos, and that's why it's okay."

"But caring about your friends is different than being..." He paused. "...in love with them," he finished softly.

"At first, I was a little upset, yes." Carlos flinched, but Jane held him close. "But then I realised that we have always been taught that true love is the strongest form of magic there is. You showing that you have room in your heart to love not one, but two people, is incredible." She gave a small breathless laugh. "How could I condemn that?"

Carlos stayed quiet for a long while, feeling Jane's hand rub his own, and thinking on her words. "I never thought about it like that," he said softly. "I always thought that it made me a terrible person. I hated myself for it." He looked into Jane's eyes. "I never wanted to hurt you."

"You wouldn't hurt me, baby. I think it's a beautiful part of you," she whispered, smiling.

"Thank you. For all of this." Carlos hugged her and buried his face in her neck, nuzzling her. "Where do we go from here?"

"I think you need to talk to Jay-"

"What?!" Carlos shot upright. "In what way is that a good idea? It would mean me admitting to- to- to infidelity," he exclaimed, "and him wanting to stay away from his pervy friend!"

Jane sat up, taken aback by the outburst. "What makes you think he'd react badly?"

"Uh, for one he's _straight_ and for two I'm supposed to be dating _you!_" He gestured at her wildly.

She raised her eyebrows. "First of all, I would be giving you permission- I'll get to that in a moment- and if you think you're the only one who's been pining, you are clueless."

"What do you mean? Jay's not.." He trailed off, unsure.

"You're not the only one Evie noticed acting strangely. Why do you think he doesn't stay in your room that often?" Jane asked.

Carlos looked at her quizzically. "He knows you stay with me sometimes and doesn't want to subject his eyes to that? No one wants to see their roommate getting it on."

Jane huffed. "He doesn't want to 'subject his eyes to that' because he's jealous. He thinks his feelings are unrequited."

"What feelings?!"

"You two really are clueless," she muttered. "He's confided a lot in Evie about it, and after she saw you struggling too she confided in me. You've both been beating yourselves up over something silly."

Carlos blinked, and blinked again. "He told Evie he has feelings for me?"

Jane rolled her eyes playfully. "Yes, you dork. He cares about you."

Carlos' face lit up, looking hopeful, before falling again. "But what about you? I don't want to leave you."

Jane placed one hand on top of his, and the other on his chest, over his heart and the necklace she made for him. "You don't have to leave me, and I won't be leaving you. We'll make it work between the three of us." She leaned forward to kiss him. "We just have to talk to Jay. We can do it together, if you're more comfortable with that."

"Okay." He nodded slowly, before gaining confidence. "Okay. Together."

Jane smiled and wrapped her arms around his shoulders to kiss him, sweet and slow. "Thank you for talking with me about this. I'm proud of you."

Carlos blushed brightly. "You've been saying that a lot today."

"Because it's true. I am." And she went back to kissing him. Carlos leaned into her, letting her lead the kiss. He was so happy she accepted his feelings and trusted him with her own, and now he could finally live in the moment.

****************************************************  
Their lips slid open as the kiss deepened, and Jane continuously kissed him and pulled back for breaths with Carlos leaning further towards her each time, chasing her lips. She smelled exceptional and Carlos gave in to the need to break off from the kiss and press his lips to her neck, trailing his mouth down below her ear. She sighed sweetly.

"I think you two would look lovely together." It took a moment for her words to break through his sensuous haze. 

"What?"

Jane grabbed him by the collar, pulling him back up to her face. "You heard me," she whispered, her domineering voice ever so slightly betrayed by her flushed cheeks. "You and Jay. I think you two would look lovely together like this. Do you think about it?" Carlos's face burned brighter, and his breaths came faster. He wet his lips.

"Sometimes." Jane smirked at him and he ducked his head. "Okay a lot of the time." Jane laid back into the pillows with her hand still in her boyfriend's collar, pulling him down on top of her.

"I bet you'd like him to hold you down. He could do it so easily." Jane brought him into another kiss. Carlos moaned.

"You like that thought baby?" Jane teased, and Carlos nodded frantically. "No, use your words, pup." He whined.

"I like it."

"Like what?" He clenched his hands in the pillow behind her head. Jane had always been the one in charge in their relationship, allowing him to let go of himself for awhile when he needed to, but her boldly dominant side only came out every so often. He shivered.

"I'd like Jay to hold me down," he whispered.

"Good boy." Jane ran her hands up Carlos' shirt and jacket. "Let's get these off." Carlos scrambled to obey, flinging his leather jacket and shirt onto the floor hastily, the chain around his neck swinging.

Jane rolled them over so he was underneath her and sat up briefly to take off her own top. Carlos' hands immediately went to rub up her sides, but halfway through the motion Jane caught his wrists. "I think we need to practice being good for Jay, don't you think?" She guided his hands above his head. "Keep them here." Carlos whined again, but obeyed, enthralled by her dominance. She reached back to unclasp her bra, baring herself for her boyfriend's eyes. She saw him flex his fingers, probably trying to stay still. "There you go."

Carlos was breathless on the bed, gazing up at his girlfriend in awe and lust. She was beautiful. Her hair spilled over her shoulders, outlining her breasts, and Carlos couldn't help but buck upwards. Jane gasped as his pelvis rubbed against her own. She reached down to grab his necklace tightly, grinding down into him. "Stay still baby. Let me do this for you." His arms flexed along with his fingers this time.

"Please," he breathed, and she tilted her hips to grind down into him again. He was so hard it was getting uncomfortable to have it pressing into his zipper, but he was committed to obeying her command and the pleasure was too great to be diminished by the slight discomfort. Jane continued her sensual grind, balancing herself with one hand. 

"Do you think this is how he would be above you? Watching you squirm beneath him? You look so handsome when you get flushed and needy. He'd love it. I love it." She pressed down harder, feeling him twitch in his shorts.

"I cant- babe, I can't-" Carlos gasped, as Jane continued giving him the delicious friction. 

"That's right, baby. Let go for me."

Carlos felt his core tighten and his head roll back as he came, shaking slightly from the combination of his girlfriend on top of him and the thoughts of Jay being in her place. 

"Beautiful." Carlos blushed yet again at the praise. "Just stay there for me okay?" Jane moved to the side slightly, so that she was straddling one of Carlos' thighs, before resuming her thrusts. She rode him steadily, letting the friction pull her closer to the edge as Carlos watched. She reached to grab onto his sides as she reached her peak, rhythm becoming less coordinated as she rode through her orgasm. 

She flopped down onto Carlos' chest, feeling their hearts beat together quickly before slowly slowing down. A small giggle came from her, before another and another pealed from her lips. 

"What are you laughing at?" Carlos couldn't help but chuckle along to the sound of her laughter.

"I made us come in our pants like teenagers!" She giggled. Carlos laughed heartily.

"We are teenagers!" The two laughed together for several moments before calming down again, settling into each other's embrace.

"Thank you for talking to me," Jane said sincerely.

"Thank you for trusting me," Carlos replied. "And helping me fantasize about my man crush."

"Carlos!" And the two began to laugh again.


	5. The Misunderstanding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carlos gathers the courage to open up to Jay. Or tries to, in any case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting closer! Next one will be the good gay shit. Thanks for being patient between chapters, friends.

The grounds were decorated with pumpkins and lanterns as everyone began preparing for the Longest Night Festival, a yearly event which celebrated the transition from autumn to winter. Of course, this was among the many things the new VK's were discovering for the very first time, so the spirit was elevated. It was only a few days until the next weekend where the festival would take place, culminating in an all-night gala to celebrate the last night of autumn.

All of which was making Carlos rather nervous. He knew he was supposed to talk to Jay, but Jane's idea of asking him to be their date to the gala seemed like the worst possible thing for him to do. Ever. He was currently wandering aimlessly outside, having finished his classes for the day but not wanting to go back to his room in fear of seeing Jay.

"You gotta stop moping, kid. What are you gonna do, sleep outside? Trust me, it's not as fun as it sounds." Dude's paws made soft pats against the fallen leaves on the ground as he trotted alongside his owner. "You have to back to your room at some point, Jane kicked you out for this exact reaso-"

"Yeah, Dude, I get it," Carlos grumbled. "You telling me over and over doesn't make it any easier." Dude ran ahead of Carlos and sat, blocking the boy's path.

"Tell you what," Dude began, "Imma go back to the dorm and beg Jay for dinner, and if I don't see you by after sundown I'm just gonna tell him myself." He raised his head resolutely, and began running back towards the dorms.

"You wouldn't!" 

Dude turned his head back in Carlos' direction but kept running. "Wanna bet?"

****

Jane stood by her window, watching the sunset. She was feeling anxious, knowing Carlos would be talking to Jay tonight. She had sighed in exasperation when Dude stopped by to tell her his plan if Carlos didn't show up, but she knew it was about damn time this got sorted and they only had a couple days before Longest Night. Although she would greatly prefer if Jay heard a love confession from Carlos, not from the dog.

She tapped her fingers against her arm. It was sundown. She knew logically that the boys would probably need their privacy but her anxiety was compelling her to go check on them. She knew Jay felt the same about Carlos, but the proposition of joining a polyamorous relationship would be a lot for any person. She was afraid Jay would let Carlos down because of her place in this equation. Sighing, she made her way back to her bed, but found herself looking at the door. Well, shit, at this point...

****  
Not long after Dude had scampered off Carlos had mad the decision to bite the bullet. If this went poorly, he'd rather it be because he was let down gently than because of having himself outed by his damn dog. Even so, his tread was slow, as though trudging through a physical form of his anxiety. When he found himself facing their door, he froze. Swallowed. And pulled at his hair in frustration. Why did this have to be so difficult?

Through the door he could hear Jay laughing, probably at Dude's antics, and felt himself swell with unstoppable affection. But that warm feeling was soon replaced with panic. What if Dude actually told Jay about this whole fiasco? What if he's laughing at Carlos? Before he could think he was entering the room.

Jay was sitting on the ground between their beds, watching Dude balance his food bowl on his head. "Told ya I could totally do it!" Dude dropped his head and let the bowl fall, turning his head to wink at Carlos. "Oh hey look Carlos is back! I can show him- actually, you know what, I just realised I forgot to dig up the bone I buried for myself bye!" He said it so fast the words practically mushed together, and then scampered out the door. Jay made a funny smile.

"Well that was weird." He looked up to greet his friend but saw the paleness in his freckled face. "Hey, you okay?"

Carlos shook himself out of his stupor and sat gingerly on the edge of his bed. "Um, yeah, why?" He grimaced as he heard his own voice crack. Shit. "Okay, yeah, no, I've been better. It's..." Jay looked up at him. "Actually, uh, if we're gonna do this I'm gonna need you to not be looking up at me like that, can you...?" He gestured lamely at Jay's bed.

Jay stood and, instead of sitting on his own bed, moved to sit next to Carlos. "Dude you're worrying me. What's going on?" He put a hand on Carlos' arm, who then ducked his face in shy embarrassment. "You've been acting really off lately, and to be honest you look like shit right now." He let his arm drop.

Carlos took a deep breath. "So the festival is coming up, right." He said it as more of a statement than a question, and Jay furrowed his brows, having not expected that at all.

"Uh, yeah." He looked at Carlos. "And?"

"Uh, well, I need a date. To, you know. The dance." Carlos felt himself shrinking inward, and Jay looked even more puzzled than before.

"But you're going with Jane. Unless," his eyes widened. "Shit did you break up? I'm so sorry, man, that's-"

"No! No, we didn't break up. We're good. Super good actually. I'm just not... ugh this is so weird." Carlos stumbled through his words, feeling like a a real Dopey in that moment.

"Um, why would you need a date then? If you and Jane are still together. You're not making any sense." Jay's brows were furrowed once again, and Carlos was filled with a nauseating mix of fondness, trepidation, and frustration. 

"No! That's not what I- it's-" He grabbed his hair briefly, before turning to a very baffled Jay. "You're just-" and before he knew what he was even doing he reached out and yanked Jay into a kiss. He felt his stomach flutter with joy as he pressed his lips to the man he had adored for so long, before snapping back into reality. He pulled back abruptly, shocked at himself for his impulsive action. Jay looked absolutely gobsmacked.

"Did you just? Why... what the hell?" Jay stood up, looking at Carlos incredulously.

"Oh my god!" Carlos clapped his hands over his mouth, leaping up as well. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." He felt his breathing get shaky.

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to!" Jay exclaimed. "What about Jane? You know, your fucking girlfriend?" He gestured wildly to the side, and Carlos felt utterly destroyed, vision blurring. 

At that moment Jane burst in, looking panicked. Jay turned to her with wide eyes, a deer caught in headlights. Carlos met her eyes, his own filled with tears and a hand still over his mouth.

Jay looked at Carlos and then back at Jane, face falling. "Shit, Jane. I didn't. He just..." He shook his head helplessly. "He kissed me."

Jane's face saddened, and she sighed once again. "Oh, boys," she said softly, and closed the door gently behind her. "What am I going to do with you?"


	6. The Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We're finally here! Love all around.
> 
> "One kiss, one kiss, it all comes down to this."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for the gay shit! You've been expecting this. Jay/Carlos smut in this chapter, once again separated with ****************************** in case it's not your jam.

At Jane's words the two boys stared at her, as if stuck in time. Carlos' breath was slightly hitched and Jay's was quick and panicked. Jane felt embarrassed at barging in like that, but was ultimately glad she had stepped in when she did. Things did not look like they were going smoothly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to just barge in. Or whatever... um, can we sit down?" Jane said awkwardly, seating herself on the foot on Carlos' bed. The boys continued to stare at her until Carlos finally snapped out of his stupor and gingerly sat on the edge where he had been before. Jay looked between the two of them incredulously.

"How are you not phased by what just happened?' Jay exclaimed more or less to both of them. Carlos hid his face fully in his hand, feeling bulldozed by the range of emotions he just experienced.

"Okay, this is gonna sound weird but," Jane paused to grab Jay's wrist and pull him down to the bed, forcing him to sit, "I put Carlos up to it. It was about time." Jay blinked at her.

"Sorry, what?" Jay shook his head. "You told Carlos to kiss me?"

"No! I never told him to kiss you, I just said he really needed to talk to you. About stuff." Carlos cringed at her words. "Not that his decision was bad! I'm fine with you kissing! I just thought there would be an understanding first. Um, wow, okay now I understand how this can make you flustered," Jane stammered out, looking apologetically at her boyfriend. Jay looked back and forth between the two of them once again.

"I don't understand."

Jane sighed. "Jay, hon, I'm going to ask you something and I need you to be honest. It's okay, I promise." At the pet name Jay quickly looked to Carlos who smiled bashfully and nodded.

"Uh, okay?"

She took a deep breath. "Do you have feelings for Carlos?" She tried to convey calmness to ease Jay into the situation, even as she saw Carlos tense with fearful anticipation. Jay blinked again, aghast, though his face was beginning to flush.

"Why do you- I would never do anything to come between you!" He could feel his blush spreading, embarrassed at being called out.

"That doesn't answer the question. If I told you I give you my explicit permission to kiss, would you accept it? I think your reaction before left Carlos a bit... sad." She gazed at her boyfriend softly before turning back to Jay, who was working his jaw as he debated his answer.

"Why would you give me permission to do that?" Jay asked softly.

"Because you love each other. And I want you two to be happy, and ignoring your feelings isn't going to help anyone." She smiled and put a hand on his. "I told Carlos I think it's beautiful that he can love two people. And I think we can make this work between us, but we need you on board. Would you want to be with Carlos?"

Jay looked down and bit his lip. He realized he had only glanced at Carlos once throughout this entire conversation and turned to him, aching inside when he saw how shattered the boy looked. 

"I would like that. Very much," Jay whispered, answering Jane but looking into Carlos' eyes which widened in surprise and wonder, and _wow_ his eyes were so pretty. 

"You.. you would?" Carlos' voice cracked and he pinched his lips in embarrassment, nervously rubbing his fingers against the bedspread. 

"Of course I would. I just never thought that you would ever..." he swallowed thickly. "And you were in a relationship so I couldn't..." he stared at Carlos helplessly and tentatively reached out to touch his hand. Carlos immediately flipped his hand over and squeezed, maybe too tight, but neither cared. 

"Me too. I mean, I didn't think... for the same reasons. But Jane encouraged me that it was time I told you. How I feel." Jay looked guiltily back at Carlos' girlfriend at the mention of her name, but she just smiled in an encouraging manner and stood up.

"I approve, remember? We'll talk this out later, but I think I'll give you two some privacy for now." She rubbed Jay's shoulder with a delicate hand and then leaned across him to give Carlos a sweet kiss on the cheek before softly leaving the room.

Jay let out a shuddering breath and found his eyes immediately drawn back to Carlos. "And how do you feel?" He couldn't help but glance down to his plump lips, tingling with the realization that he had _ kissed those_. Or rather, they had kissed him.

"I love you, Jay." He watched those lips form the words he had only ever dreamed of hearing, feeling his eyes tear up with the intense feeling of how overdo this was. He looked back into Carlos' swirling eyes.

"I love you too," he whispered. And then let out a breathless laugh. " I love you. And you love me," he said through his wide smile. "I can't believe-!"

Carlos pulled their clasped hands to his chest. " If I kiss you again will you freak out?"

Jay leaned closer, still smiling. " Oh I will definitely freak out, but in a good way this time."

Carlos beamed at him and drew him into another kiss. This time it was heartfelt from both ends and the two melted into each other. Carlos kissed him and kissed him and Jay could not believe this was real. He felt Carlos move a hand to brush his long hair behind his shoulder, and shuddered at the intimacy of the gesture. 

They broke apart, breathing heavily but not going far. Jay cupped Carlo's cheek and watched as the boy blushed. 

"Carlos," he breathed, "were we going to talk or..."

"I would rather not talk right this second if it means I can keep kissing you."

Jay's heart fluttered even as his stomach warmed at the thought. "I can definitely get with that, yeah," and he brought Carlos into another kiss.

*********************************************************************

Carlos whimpered at the passion behind this one, and Jay felt his insides curl at the sound. God, he was done for.

The kiss increased intensity, the two boys mouthing at each other frantically, panting with each small pause. Carlos felt like he was floating on endorphins from the joy of finally Kissing Jay, and knowing the other boy truly meant it. He could feel his chest tightening with both overwhelming happiness and burning lust and he scrambled to pull Jay closer.

"Is this, are we-" Jay managed to gasp between kisses. "Are we gonna keep going? Because I don't think I could stop at this point." He grasped tightly at Carlos' shirt.

"Yes. Yes, please, yes!" Carlos gasped into Jay's mouth, sliding his hands up the boy's muscular abs like he had always fantasized about, delighting in the resulting shiver underneath his palms. 

Jay yanked at the hem of Carlos' shirt, trying to pull it up through their tangled limbs. Carlos broke away to tug his shirt over his head, only feeling shy for a moment before Jay was pressing kisses to his neck.

"You're beautiful, you must know that." Jay whispered reverently. "Do you have freckles all over?" With that he began kissing each one he found, from Carlos' neck to across his collar bones and down his navel. Carlos whimpered again, feeling himself straining against his pants, and ran his fingers across Jay's scalp.

Jay's lips came to rest by the necklace, and he looked at it curiously. "Is that a dog tag?" He looked up through his lashes at Carlos, who was blushing furiously. Crap, he had forgotten he was wearing it and that might be harder to explain-

Jay pressed a kiss to the metal. "I like it. It suits you." He dragged his nose back up Carlos' chest to kiss him again, and Carlos felt like he was on the verge of cumming from that comment alone. 

"I need, can I-" Carlos tugged at Jay's clothing and the taller boy stood up quickly so he could tug off his shirt, mentally say _fuck it_, and then pull off his pants. 

Carlos gaped at him, letting his eyes roam the expanse of Jay's tanned body, settling on his tented boxers. Fuck.

Jay scrambled back onto the bed and fumbled with Carlos' pants until the other boy batted his hands away to pull them off himself. Once both were down to just their boxers they stilled, breathing heavily and gazing into each other's eyes. Jay's arms held him above Carlos and he slowly dropped them down to lay flush against the boy beneath him. 

Carlos closed his eyes, reveling in the heat of their naked torsos, and ran his hands down Jay's sides.

"Jay. Please." He opened his eyes halfway to gaze at the beautiful face so close to his own and saw Jay's pupils dilate. He was quickly drawn into a furious kiss.

They got lost in each other's mouths and tongues and hands, letting the tension build until it was almost unbearable. Jay reached down to take them both out of their boxers and held each of them in one calloused hand. Carlos gasped and dug his fingers into Jay's shoulders.

"Is this okay?" Jay asked and stilled his hand. He wanted to be certain but he also just wanted to hear Carlos' sweet sounds again.

"If you stop I'll kill you. Now stop being such a flower and- shit!" He was cut off by Jay's hand tightening around them and pumping quickly. Carlos' hips jumped up, out of his control, and Jay chuckled softly through his own groans. 

"There you go, pretty boy."

Carlos keened as he felt his spine tingle from his approaching orgasm, spurred on by Jay's words.

"Aw, you like pet names baby?" Jay panted and nipped at his neck, letting his lips settle over the vibrations coming from Carlos' throat. Carlos nodded frantically, and Jay heard himself groan in pleasure at how precious this boy was.

"Good boy, I'll call you whatever sweet names you want."

"Oh fuck! You're gonna make me-" Carlos' words cut off with a whine as he came on Jay's hand. Jay pressed breathless kisses to his lips, absolutely on edge. He released Carlos' oversensitive dick and gripped his own firmly.

"Shit, you're so pretty, Gods..." and Jay pumped his fist through his own release and felt his trembling arm completely give out and drop his full weight onto Carlos, who huffed out a breath. He rolled over to the side and grabbed the other boy's hand lazily.

Carlos turned over to face Jay, smiling widely. Jay felt himself smiling in return at the sweet boy, and released his hand to pull him into a tight embrace.


	7. The Lunch Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane, Jay, and Carlos navigate their changing relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for waiting! Some of you are probably disappointed in the lack of smut, but we need those good fluffy moments first.

Carlos woke with a groan, beginning to stretch and jumping a little when he touched skin. He turned to see Jay sleeping peacefully beside him- well, more on top of him- and felt a flood of giddiness as he remembered the night before. They were really going to do this, the three of them. He had _kissed_ Jay and Jay kissed him back. In fact, they did a lot more than kiss. Carlos felt himself flush at the memory, but was unable to stop his grin. No wonder he slept so well.

After their initial confession and somewhat embarrassing frotting session, they had settled into a more leisurely exploration of each other, with soft kisses and gentle touches that they had held in for so long. With another rush of embarrassment Carlos realized they had completely forgotten about Jane, but she had said she would give them privacy the night prior so she probably had a good idea of what they would get up to.

Carlos looked over at Jay, whose head was resting on his lower chest. His hair was tangled and he had bruises on his neck. Fuck, he was gorgeous. It felt surreal to wake up with him in the same bed. He reached over to stroke Jay's hair, running his fingers through the knots. At a particularly rough tangle Jay's eyebrows pinched slightly and he snuffled in his sleep. Carlos scratched his head softly in apology but Jay's eyes were already fluttering, opening softly and adjusting to the light. He smiled up at Carlos.

"Well good morning." Jay stretched out languidly and propped himself up on his elbow so he could actually see Carlos' beautiful eyes, unwittingly pulling the hand still curled in his hair up with him. Carlos grinned sheepishly.

"I didn't mean to wake you, I was just trying to pet your hair but it looks like it's too much of a mess," Carlos chuckled up at the other boy.

"And whose fault is that, hm?" Jay leaned in closer to the freckled face below him. "Don't make it a habit, but I actually don't mind. I... really like waking up in the same bed as you." Carlos smiled back at him and leaned up the rest of the way to meet him in a sweet kiss.

Jay pulled away and scrunched his nose. "Ugh, morning breath, dude." Carlos scoffed a laugh and hit him playfully in the arm.

"Well excuse me, I was trying to be cute, mister bird nest. And you're gonna call me dude after all that?"

"Bird's nest?" Jay opened his mouth in a faux gasp and sat up. "Why, I never." He dramatically put his hand over his chest. Carlos sat up laughing, though not failing to notice how Jay's gaze skittered down his bare torso as the sheets pooled at his waist. Jay stayed smiling but his eyes sobered a bit.

"I mean, the name just slipped out but... we're still us. Right? We roughhouse and call each other dude and also happen to have feelings for each other. It would be weird for all that to change. But I mean, if- if you think-"

Carlos grabbed his hand. "No, I'm just teasing you. We're still us. I wouldn't want anything about that to change." He kissed Jay's forehead. "Except the whole romance thing. That's very good."

"Well I hope so!" Jay laughed and emphatically waved their clasped hands. Carlos went to respond when they heard a knock at the door.

The door opened softly and Jane peeped her head in. "Boys?" She slid in the door frame. "Can I come in?"

Carlos beamed at his girlfriend. "Of course. Not like the door isn't already unlocked anyway." Jane walked in holding a small bag and made her way to the bed. Jay looked awkward as he watched her give Carlos a kiss on the head, glancing between the couple and his still naked body.

"Um. Can I put on pants real quick?"

Jane stepped back with an abashed look on her face. "I'm so sorry, I really just barged in didn't I. I've been so excited to hear how things went I forgot about privacy. Here, I'll go here and turn around while you sort yourselves out. Not that I haven't seen Carlos like this, but..." she waved her hand and giggled.

Jay tried his best to surreptitiously slide out of the sheets and bend down to find his pants, while Carlos unabashedly walked over to his dresser.

"I guess this will all take some getting used to, huh?" Jane voiced to the boys behind her.

"Uh..." Jay let out an incredulous laugh. "Yeah, it really will, won't it."

Jane shuffled in her bag while the boys slid on clothes, and pulled out a few bottles. "I brought you both some coffee and juice. I figured you'd need it before class, especially after last night." Carlos, now dressed, accepted the treats graciously, though he blushed at his girlfriends smirk directed at his bite-covered neck. Jay blushed furiously behind them and fumbled to pull on a shirt.

"Thank you, um," Jay walked over to accept the drinks and ducked his head. "Sorry, I've just never been in this sort of position before. I feel like I'm not supposed to be so cozy with my best friend who also has a girlfriend. Who's now in the room."

"Jay, it's okay honey. It's all very new for me too. But it's what you two deserve. What the three of us deserve." She turned to gaze kindly at Jay. "It will be weird at first, but we'll figure it all out."

Carlos placed his hand gently on Jan's back at her words. "We just have to figure out what this _it_ is. And what it means for us," Carlos said in return.

"That's part of why I wanted to catch you before class. First of all, to say congratulations," here she winked, "and secondly to see when you both want to meet up to talk about our relationship?"

"So... we do have a relationship now? Like, the three of us? Or just me and Carlos and then you and Carlos, or..." Jay trailed off.

"We can talk about all that. Whatever our desires and boundaries are for this." Jane bit her lip. "But just putting it out there, I would be very open to being with you too, Jay." Carlos raised an eyebrow at this.

"What? He's a nice guy, and very easy on the eyes. You know this better than I do, 'Los."

Jay was still blinking at the two of them in disbelief. Carlos ducked his head bashfully, but was grinning. "That I do." He couldn't help but gaze up longingly at Jay. Class was the absolute last thing on his mind right now. But they still had some figuring out to do.

"We could meet up for a lunch date?" Carlos asked tentatively. "It could be our first date as a... throuple? Trio?"

"That's a wonderful idea, pup. Our first date as partners." Jane reached out to take both of the boys' hands. Jay meekly accepted her grasp and reached out in turn for Carlos. They all stood there for a moment, taking in the very new feeling of being connected like this. Jane squeezed both of their hands and gently released them.

"So, we'll meet back here for lunch? We can talk about us. And maybe do other things." Jane smiled impishly at Carlos' exclamation of "Jane!" and Jay's joking comment of "You know, between the two of you I really hadn't pegged Jane as the one who would be so forward."

"Oh, Carlos is certainly not the dominant role in this relationship." Jane grinned again, more heated this time. Jay could feel a blush creeping down his neck. Holy hit, these two were going to kill him.

Jane stepped up to Carlos and ran a hand through his hair before leaning up to kiss him softly. "See you this afternoon, love." She turned to Jay whose eyes were still focused on the boy's lips. "May I have a hug?"

Jay broke out of his trance and looked to her, nodding. She wrapped him in a warm embrace, arms around his neck, and his hands automatically went up to wrap around her waist. He realised he had never given her a hug like this before. He let his head rest on top of hers, and noted that her hair smelled sweet. None of this felt real, but he sure as hell wasn't going to turn it down. He looked up and caught Carlos' eyes which were fixed on them with so much affection that Jay could have sworn his heart skipped.

"Thank you." Jay whispered with his gaze still locked with Carlos but directing the soft statement to both of them.

"Of course," Jane said sincerely and shouldered her bag. "Now go to class you hooligans." Carlos laughed and Jay just watched her flow out of the room, curls bouncing behind her. Carlos grinned at Jay.

"She's a lot more than meets the eye, isn't she?"

Jay let out a huffed laugh in agreement.

\------------

Morning classes droned on and none of the three could focus, though for Jane it was more so from cataloging all the things she wanted to say as opposed to getting lost in daydreams like the boys. In the middle of History of Enchantment Jay had such a glazed over look that Mal actually felt compelled to kick him in the shin and pin him with a look which read _What is going on with you?_ Evie hid her grin with the hand holding her pen before scribbling something in her notebook and motioning for Mal to read it. Jay watched Mal look down in question, raise her eyebrows, and turn around to look back at him with approval.

Jay slouched in his seat in embarrassment. They really were obvious weren't they.

Carlos made his way back to his room by mid-afternoon, realising he was the first one back. 

"I hear you got a date, huh? Glad you took your head out of your butt." Dude said around a stretch and Carlos was ashamed to realise he had completely forgotten about the dog in the last day. "Stop it, I can see your worry face from here. I've been hanging out with Evie. She gives gooood treats. And I don't wanna be here when I could accidentally see more things I wish I could forget. But good on you, kid." He winked and ran up to the door to scratch on it.

Carlos dropped his bag on the bed and went over to the door, leaning down to scratch Dude's head before opening it for him. "Sorry Dude. You're the best, buddy," he said apologetically. Dude turned around in the hall and sat. "Don't worry about it. It's great to finally see you all happy."

"Aww," Jane's voice came from the side and Carlos peeked his head out the door to see her giving her puppy dog look to Dude, who was happily basking in the attention. The dog laughed that it was his cue to leave and trotted away.

"Hi, honey. Sorry if we're a bit later than we wanted," Jane said as she walked in, and at the word 'we' Carlos realised Jay was awkwardly trailing behind her. He smiled shyly at Jay as he passed and was pleased to see him smile in return. Carlos locked the door behind them and went to sit on his bed, seeing Jane already there and Jay sitting on the edge of his own. He stood there for a moment before Jane rolled her eyes and beckoned him over before pointing to Jay and commanding "You too."

The three ended up all sitting cross legged on the bed in a small circle facing one another, as per Jane's request for them to "stop being weird and come here." 

Jay leaned his elbows on his legs and cleared his throat. "So, uh, where should we start?" 

Jane brushed her hair back over her shoulder. "Well, I guess we should just make sure we're all on the same page first. Carlos," she looked to him, "you have had feelings for Jay for quite some time, but were feeling guilty about it." Carlos bit his lip and nodded. "Jay," she then turned to him, "you seem to have been in the same situation, yes?" He looked under his lashes at Carlos for a moment before nodding. 

"I really care about him." Carlos shone at his words. "And I feel the same. Obviously" he chuckled awkwardly. 

Jane inwardly chuckled at the coyness of the two boys. "And of course I care deeply for Carlos, and therefore anyone else he has feelings for," she tilted her head meaningfully.

"So, there could possibly be an us, too?" Jay asked her sounding tentative. She nodded in ascent. 

"Only if you want of course, but I can see it developing there."

"And you're really okay if Carlos and I...?"

She put a hand on his forearm. "I promise I am. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't okay. You two are allowed to be together however you please."

"She's so supportive," Carlos added. "At first I couldn't believe she could ever agree to this let alone initiate it, but she helped me understand that it is all okay. She helped me feel validated." His eyes grew a little teary, but Jane simply smiled lovingly at him and didn't say anything about it.

"Like I told Carlos, love is one of the most powerful things there is. How is it not amazing to have enough love in your heart for more than one person?" She said emphatically to Jay, more as a statement than a question. Jay felt his heart pang at the words, knowing with certainty that this girl was too good for this world.

"I really like that. I've never seen it that way before," Jay said a tad wistfully. Oh, the time they had wasted. 

"That's what I said to her too. It might be crazy, but we can do this. We deserve this," Carlos agreed. Jan looked at her boys with pride.

"I'm glad you finally see it that way." Her thumb gently brushed Jay's arm, and he knew he needed to ask what was on his mind. 

"So you said it's okay for us to be together however we want. That means, like, in any way? Including," he couldn't contain his blush around them it seemed, "physically?" Jane giggled.

"Of course, silly. Why start a relationship but have certain things be off limits? I knew I would have to touch on that to make you boys stop feeling so awkward about it. I mean it, however this develops you can act on your feelings. Besides, I know you had to have gotten up to something last night." She smirked at them. "But it's about damn time."

Carlos bashfully hid his face in Jane's shoulder and Jay shook his head, chuckling. "You really are a bit of a spitfire aren't you?" Jane grinned at him.

"Actually, on that note, I was wondering... well, I'm sure we'll come to it eventually, since being, you know, _ together_ is on the table, but will you two kiss for me?" At Jay's wide eyes she hurried to explain. "It's not a sex thing. Well, maybe, but what I mean is I want you two to feel comfortable around me. And we'll have to break some barriers to get there. You don't have to if you don't want to but if we're all in this together now it's bound to become a regular thing."

Jay chewed his lip, looking between the boy he'd pined after for so long and the girl who was welcoming him into their relationship. "You're right. It'll just be odd at first," he laughed nervously. "I'm alright with it, it's just... a little embarrassing I guess." He reached out to Carlos, who leaned in with no hesitation. 

"We're all in this now. Together." Carlos stated and connected the distance between them. Jane watched the initial tension in Jay's shoulders fade into an easy relaxation. She could see it in their bodies, in their kiss, how much they loved each other, and felt no jealously. She only felt the rightness of it. 

Jay let himself relax into the kiss, suckling a little at the other boys lip before pulling away slightly. Carlos' eyes were already blown, but his face remained soft. Jay couldn't help but lean in for another quick peck. 

"Hm, I think it's only fair if you two kiss now. You know, to get comfortable with each other." Jay smirked.

Jane clasped Jay by the chin and forced him to look at her. "I think you're absolutely right, but you're next. Is that alright?" she softened the command with a question, letting him know that it was still his choice. He smiled back at her in thanks. Jane saw the consent for what it was and gently released his chin after stroking his jawline. Carlos was watching avidly, feeling like he was in unknown territory but liking it. It would be an adventure for all of them. He let his focus shift when Jane kissed him softly, submitting to her with easy familiarity. Their kiss was longer, more practiced with how long they'd been together, and he let her guide the kiss into something more sensual, albeit flustered by knowing they had an audience. 

They heard a sharp inhale from beside them, and Carlos could feel Jane smile around where she was working her tongue. She lingered for a moment and sat back, looking at Jay who she knew would be very interested. He was staring at them with unmasked want and she felt a hint of pride in bringing them here. Carlos lazily opened his eyes from the kiss and saw where Jane was focused, then blushed at the flurry in his stomach when he met Jay's intense gaze. 

"And you?" Carlos whispered. Jay looked to Jane, still a bit unsure. Jane smiled in support and gently cupped his jaw. "Okay?" She asked again. Jay looked into Carlos' eyes as he whispered yes in return. Their lips met softly, and he absorbed the new sensation. They separated soon after, leaving the kiss chaste but sweet. Jane had been right, he could see a possibility with her too.

"Thank you for indulging me," Jane said. "That was quite lovely. I think we will all be wonderful together." 

Carlos gave a contented sigh and leaned his head on Jay, looking up to see if it was alright. Jay put a hand on his head and guided Carlos to rest against him, kissing his head. 

"There's a lot more to figure out, of course," Jane continued. "But we really needed this closeness to start. Thank you."

"No. Thank _you_. We wouldn't be here without you," Jay replied and Carlos smiled sweetly in agreement.


	8. The (Over-excited) Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evie just can't contain her love of romance and word spreads a bit faster than the main three would like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mostly dialogue, but I was feeling some nice fluff. I'm sure you all know what's coming next.

Jane was walking through the garden area back to main campus when she felt a light tap on her shoulder. Evie was bouncing in place behind her, looking like she was about to burst from excitement.

"Oh, hi Evie! You're looking energetic today." Before she had even finished speaking Evie was pulling her into a tight hug, rocking them both. Jane let out an "oh!" at the sudden contact.

"I'm so happy for you!" Evie squealed as she released the other girl, hopping from foot to foot in her heels. "It's about time, honestly, I'm so glad you were able to make them talk it out. Are you all going to the dance together?" she gasped. "Can I design your outfits?!"

Jane gently pushed her back, attempting to get some space. "Um, thanks? I think. But what are you talking about?" Evie's face fell dramatically.

"You, Jay, and Carlos! Wait, are you not going to the dance together?" She pouted. 

"No, no, we are, I just mean, how did you know about that specifically? We haven't told anyone yet." Jane said in confusion. Evie picked at her nails, looking guiltily to the side.

"Ummm..... Dude might have told me everything?" Her voice went higher. "And I kinda told Doug and Mal and Ben...." 

Jane laughed incredulously. "And I'm guessing they told everyone else, huh?" Evie shrunk in on herself.

"Um....oops?" 

Well, at least that made the coming out process easier. For the most part. Jane chuckled to herself. Leave it to Evie to be that excited about romance. 

"It's okay, Evie. Just kind of funny," she smiled reassuringly at her. "We have a ways to go in being totally comfortable with three of us, but we're all really happy. And we were going to tell people soon, anyway," she shrugged, then folded her arms and smirked. "So, designing our Longest Night outfits, hm?"

Evie looked embarrassed. "Please?" she asked in a squeaky voice. 

Jane laughed and gave Evie a one-armed hug. "I'm sure Jay and Carlos will be flattered. You already have sketches don't you?"

Evie's shoulders were at her ears at this point, and she gave a self-deprecating grin. Jane just laughed along as Evie pulled out her sketchbook. 

\-------------------

Tourney practice was wrapping up, with this being the last session until after the Longest Night Festival since all student organizations were given the weekend and then a few weekdays off for the celebration. Although the school liked to pretend their students didn't party as hard as they did, since the barrier came down and the VK's brought their carefree lifestyle to the mainland the student body really was out of commission for several days after any given event. Fairy Godmother would begrudgingly take hungover teens over an evil spell, especially after the fiasco of Jane's last birthday. 

The tourney team, sweaty and energized, were putting away their gear and slowly trickling out of the training room. Jay was one of the last few in the room and was unwrapping his hand bandages when Lonnie came over and propped her leg up on the bench next to him.

"What up, coach?" Jay smiled over at her and she raised her hand for a fist bump.

"You seem happier today. Looks good on you," she smirked at him and he couldn't stop the blush that spread to his ears. Jay cursed the fact that his hair was still pulled back, he really had been blushing so much this past week. Not much of a street kid anymore...

"Yeah, it's been a good day," he shrugged. "What about it?" Lonnie gave him a knowing look and nudged his shoulder. 

"I just wanted to say congratulations. To all of you. It's about time you three figured it out, we've had bets on it for ages." She grinned widely at his stunned face.

"What- how do you even-" she interrupted him with a friendly slap on the back and began back-stepping towards the door. 

"You better brace yourself lover boy, word spreads fast around here!" 

\-----------------

Carlos felt his phone buzz in his pocket and shifted on the bed to fish it out, reclining against his pillows.

_Message from Jay_

_ **Just packed up, be back soon. :) ** _

Carlos smiled down at his phone and typed a response. Sure, they would often chat at the end of day but things so much different now and it made his heart flutter.

_ Can't wait to see you. Sounds silly but I missed you today._

A reply came almost instantaneously.

_ ** It's not silly. Honestly I feel the same.** _

_**Speaking of, has anyone said anything to you today?**,_

Carlos furrowed his brow. 

_ Like what?_

_ ** Like congratulating us...** _

_Wait, what?_

_ **Well it was only Lonnie but I didn't know word got out** _

Carlos groaned into his hand. Curse his talking dog. There was no other way this could have happened.

_I think it was Dude, I'm so sorry. We should tell Jane, we can talk about it when you get back. _

_  
**I just asked her and she said most of the inner circle knows now.** _

_Unread.  
**But you know they'll support us, right?******_

_ ** **** ** _

Carlos flopped back with a frustrated huff. Yeah, they were figuring things out but it didn't mean they were ready for everyone to know. Gods, what would everyone think of him? His phone buzzed but went unnoticed in his spiraling thoughts. Would it ruin things for Jane? Dating a villain kid was one thing, but being in a polyamorous relationship was pretty much unheard of in Auradon. He curled his fists in his hair, tugging at the roots. Fuck.

"Carlos?" Gentle calloused fingers pulled his fists out of their grip. "Baby? Are you okay?" Jay lifted his boyfriend's chin up to look at his face and gently brushed his cheek with his thumb. 

"What's going on?" At the soft question Carlos was pulled out of his stupor. He slowly let his hands fall back to his lap and let out a shaky breath. He hadn't realised how deeply he had been in his own thoughts.

"Sorry, sorry." Carlos scrubbed at his face. "Just letting my thoughts get ahead of me."

"Is this about word spreading about our relationship?" Jay looked at him with concern. "Are you... having regrets?"

"No! No, not at all. Just," he sighed, "I still feel like I'm going ruin things for everyone."

Jay pet his hair softly, knowing very well how Carlos' anxiety could get the better of him. A few years on the mainland did nothing for any of their trauma.

"I messaged Jan, too. She should be here soon. Wanna talk about it when she gets here?" Jay asked. Carlos huffed.

"Not really, but I know you two aren't going to let me walk away." He looked shyly up at Jay, pulling his knees up to his chest. They both turned their heads at the quiet click of the door shutting and saw Jane softly approaching the bed. She sat lightly next to Jay and reached out to caress Carlos' collarbone. 

"What's going on, pup?" Jane asked. She knew full well what was likely happening, but she wanted to encourage him to voice his feelings. They were still in the middle of a big transition and she knew there was bound to be anxiety.

"Just thinking a lot. About all the people who know now." He shrugged. "It's not a huge deal." Jane gave him a look, but Jay beat her to it.

"It's important, Carlos. Your feelings are valid." He turned to Jane and spoke softly. "He's worried about how things will be now that people know about us. He feels like he will ruin everything." Carlos swatted at Jay with an affronted expression and Jane just nodded once, her suspicions confirmed.

"He's right, baby. Your feelings _ are_ valid. Why do you feel like you'll ruin things?"

Carlos sighed, knowing she wouldn't let him drop it. She looked out for him too much. "I just don't want to make people look at us badly. I mean, some people still do. At me and Jay. But..." He looked to Jane. "I've already made people lose faith in you by being with you. I don't want to make it worse."

"Oh, love," Jane sighed in sympathy. Jay made to get up, intending to give the two privacy, but Jane caught his arm before he could. "Stay," she whispered. "We're all together now. He needs us both." She gently kissed his hand before letting go and turning back to Carlos. "There's always going to be judgmental people. But that will never make what we have any less valuable. We both love you and you love us, and we have friends who will always support us. If anything were to happen, we'd get through it together." She leaned in to kiss his cheek. "Promise."

Jay smiled at the other two, his chest filling with warmth as he watched them rest their foreheads together before kissing softly. When they parted Carlos reached his hand out to Jay, making a grabbing gesture. Jay laughed at the preciousness of the boy and scooted in closer, letting Carlos pull him into a soft kiss as well. 

"Thank you. Both of you," Carlos whispered. 

"Of course, pup," Jay whispered in return, taking delight in the blush that spread across his freckled cheeks at hearing the endearment come from his new partner.

Jane gazed at them with affection, but still gave Carlos a quick tap on the nose. "We don't have to talk anymore tonight if you'd rather not, but we're not dropping this yet, okay?" Carlos begrudgingly nodded.

"Why don't we take his mind off of it for now?" Jay proposed, still looking at his boyfriend. Jane smiled slyly.

"That's a wonderful idea baby," and with that the two laid Carlos back into the pillows, watching him grow redder from the attention.

"Oh, wow, okay," Carlos breathed, and let his control fall into the hands of the ones he loved.


End file.
